


Family of Three

by Siberianskys



Series: Starting Over [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, First Love, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Moving In Together, Pre-Canon, Romance, valentines day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29138958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siberianskys/pseuds/Siberianskys
Summary: Dinner For Two, Dramatic Proposal, Dancing, Sending Flowers, Wedding Ring, Heartfelt Serenade, Odd Couple, Candlelight, Our Special Place
Relationships: Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
Series: Starting Over [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2138448
Comments: 20
Kudos: 24
Collections: Allbingo





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Valentines Fest at Allbingo.

After hearing the doorbell ring, Clint ran down two flights of stairs and wasn't even winded when he opened the front door. He was surprised when an older man was standing on his doorstep holding an arrangement of various flowers. 

"Mr. Barton?" the man asked. 

"Yeah," Clint said, staring at the flowers suspiciously.

"These are for you," the man said. 

"Thank you," Clint said, taking the flowers and carrying them into the kitchen after shutting the front door. He had no idea what he was supposed to do with them. No one had ever given him flowers before and he couldn't imagine who had sent them to him now. Pulling the card off the little plastic thing in the flower arrangement, he was surprised to recognize the handwriting. His name was written on the little white card in Coulson's precise handwriting. He guessed that meant that Coulson had gone to the flower store and wrote the card himself. That sounded unusual even to Clint, who knew very little about such things. Opening the card, he blushed as he read Coulson's sweet little note. Clint wondered if Coulson was expecting him to send flowers. He had no idea that men sent men flowers. He felt dumb, not for the first time. He knew Coulson wouldn't mind if he didn't do the expected, but Clint wanted to be a better boyfriend or at least what he thought in his own head was being a better boyfriend. He really didn't know. This was the first time he'd ever been in love. Clint suddenly had an idea that he hoped Coulson would like. 

Clint ran up to the 3rd floor and got his battery powered tape recorder and then walked down to the second floor and put it on the top of his baby grand piano. Since he had started dating Coulson, Clint had started doing his research. Coulson was a huge jazz and pop standards fan so Clint had boned up and gone to the library and checked out records on a regular basis. Clint double checked and made sure the tape was new and rewound. He was always careful about putting a fresh tape in his recorder before he put it away, but it never hurt to check. Hoping Coulson wouldn't think this was really stupid, he hit the record button and started to play "My Funny Valentine" singing along as he did so. When he had finished, he rewound the tape and then turned off the recorder after popping the cassette out. He ran back up stairs and got a business envelope, wrote Coulson's name on it and popped the tape in. Checking that he had his wallet and grabbed his truck keys he ran downstairs and out the door, locking the door behind him. 

On the way to drop the envelope off at S.H.I.E.L.D., Clint stopped to pick-up Marple at her obedience school. He still couldn't believe how big she'd gotten. She was close to 6-months-old now and over 50 pounds. She was a good puppy. As Clint drove toward Times Square, Marple lay on the passenger seat and rested her head on his thigh. Pulling in front of the building, Clint thought as he had multiple times that Times Square was kind of a weird place for S.H.I.E.L.D. to have its New York office, but no one asked him. He rolled down the truck window when the guard approached his truck. 

"Is everything alright, Specialist Barton?" the guard asked. 

"Coulson is expecting this," Clint said, handing the yellow envelope to the guard. "I'd run it upstairs, but I need to take the dog home."

"No problem. I'll see that he gets it," the guard said. 

"Thank you," Clint said. "You're a life saver."

"Happy to do it," the guard said. 

Clint pulled into the street after the guard went inside and scratched Marple's ears as he drove them toward home.


	2. Chapter 2

"You two are a strange pair," Sitwell said, when Coulson tore open the yellow envelope and poured the contents onto his desk. 

"He dropped off a cassette for me," Coulson said. "Why does that make us strange?"

"You don't think that's an odd way to communicate?" Sitwell asked. 

"If Clint wanted to talk to me he'd have called," Coulson said. 

"Then what's with the tape?" Sitwell asked. 

"I have no idea," Coulson said. 

"You aren't going to play it?" Sitwell asked. 

"I'll play it when you leave," Coulson said. 

"You just said if he wanted to talk to you he'd call," Sitwell said. "How personal can it be?" 

"What is it with me and Clint that fascinates you so much?" Coulson asked. 

"That there is a you and Clint," Sitwell said. 

Coulson rolled his eyes. "Two people don't have to have a lot in common to be in a relationship."

"Do you have anything in common?" Sitwell asked. "I can't see Barton as a fanboy."

"You might be surprised," Coulson said, pulling his tape player out of his desk drawer. "You're not leaving until I play this are you?"

"You aren't curious?" Sitwell asked. 

Coulson put the tape in the player and hit play. He smiled as soon as he heard Clint start playing the piano and singing along. 

"That's your boy?" Sitwell asked. 

"Clint's not my boy," Coulson said, "but, yes that's him ."

"He's talented," Sitwell said. 

"I know," Coulson said. "I love his voice."

"I think you love more than that," Sitwell said. 

"And on that note," Coulson said. "I need to leave a little early. I have a stop to make on my way to Clint's."

Sitwell laughed. 

"That's funny?" Coulson asked, turning off his tape player and putting it back in his desk drawer. 

"A little," Sitwell said. "I never thought I'd see the day that Phil Coulson was celebrating Valentine's Day."

"Isn't that what couples do?" Coulson asked. 

"It's the first time I've ever seen you with a serious--"

"What?" Coulson asked. 

"You don't like me calling him your boy," Sitwell said, "so I doubt you'd like me calling him your boyfriend."

"I'm hoping I'll be calling him my fiance after tonight," Coulson said. 

"It's that serious?" Sitwell asked. 

"I hope so," Coulson said, closing his office door and locking it behind himself and Sitwell.


	3. Chapter 3

Phil got lucky and pulled into the loading zone in front of Clint's favorite diner that had become their special place. They ate at Vic's at least three times a week when they were both in town at the same time. Phil had intended to propose here tonight, but then Clint had beat him to the punch and had asked him out on Valentine's Day first. He had no idea where they were going, so he decided to just wing it, which more than a little unnerving. Phil was a planner. He really hoped that tonight didn't blow-up in his face. He smiled at Sophia when she came out of the kitchen carrying a banana cream pie. 

"Thank you," Phil said, when Sophia handed him the pie. "I know you're busy."

Sophia patted Phil on the cheek and said, "It's his favorite and he's so skinny. How could I not want to help you fatten him up. He's such a sweet boy."

"I can't argue with that," Phil said. "Hopefully we'll see you in the morning for breakfast."

"You might make it if you call it brunch," Sophia said. 

"Probably a good idea. I better--" Phil said, pointing toward his car, "before I get a ticket."

When Phil got back into Manhattan, he pulled in next to Clint's truck and turned off his engine. Getting out of his car, he checked his suit jacket pockets to make sure that there were two ring boxes still in them. Satisfied, he picked-up the pie box, closed the passenger side door and carried the box up the stairs to Clint's front door and came face to face with the man himself when Clint opened the door for him. 

"You didn't have to bring anything," Clint said, steeling a quick kiss from Phil before holding the front door open for him.

When Phil and Clint got inside, Phil put the pie on the side table and bent over to ruffle Marple's fuzzy head. 

"Did you want me to drive?" Phil asked. 

"Drive?" Clint asked. 

'I thought you made reservations," Phil said. 

'I remember saying that I'd handle dinner," Clint said, "I don't remember reservations coming into the conversation."

"What are you up to?" Phil asked. 

Clint smirked at Phil. 

"I don't want to know, do I?" Phil asked. 

Clint wrapped his arms around Phil's neck and kissed him like they had all the time in the world. 

Phil smiled against Clint's lips as he broke the kiss and said, "Happy Valentine's Day."

'Is that what it is?" Clint asked.

"You aren't funny," Phil said. 

Clint pouted. 

"Okay," Phil said, "you're a little bit funny."

Clint looked a little bit proud of himself. 

"So what is the plan?" Phil asked. 

"Have you never just winged it?" Clint asked. 

"That's how I ended up with you," Phil said.


	4. Chapter 4

"What smells so good?" Phil asked, noticing an aroma wafting into the entry way. 

"Lasagna," Clint said. "It should be almost done."

"You can cook?" Phil asked, not able to hide his surprise. 

"No," Clint said. "Emily made it. She brought it over and gave me the baking instructions."

"My sister-in-law Emily?" Phil asked. 

"I called her and asked for advice," Clint said. "She said she'd take care of it. I tried to get out of it, but she really sounded like she wanted to help."

"She probably did," Phil said. "My family likes you."

"Why?" Clint asked. "You could do so much better."

Phil took Clint's face between his hands and kissed him slow until the need for air make him break contact. "You are too hard on yourself," Phil said. 

"We'll see if you still think that," Clint said, "after we see if I burned dinner."

"It doesn't matter," Phil said, grabbing the pie off the sideboard as he followed Clint into the kitchen." We can always order Chinese or something if it doesn't turn out."

"Not romantic," Clint said. 

"I could feed you with chopsticks," Phil said, putting the pie in the refrigerator. 

"Why didn't I think of that?" Clint asked. 

"Because, you're sweet and you wanted to make me dinner on Valentine's Day," Phil said. 

Clint blushed; to hide his pink cheeks he turned his back to Phil, turned off the oven, and carefully used his pot holders to remove the cookie sheet with 4 ramekins on it. Sitting the sheet with 4 mini lasagnas on the cooling rack, Clint waited for Phil to say something. 

"That looks perfect," Phil said, wrapping his arms around Clint's waist and buried his face in his neck.

Clint leaned back against Phil and sighted. Being in Phil's arms was Clint's favorite thing. One day Clint would tell Phil that. 

"Do you want me to set the table?" Phil asked. 

"That's done," Clint said, taking the salads out of the refrigerator and putting them on a tray. After he'd done that, he put 2 of the mini lasagnas on the same tray with the salads. 

"Dining room table or breakfast nook?" Phil asked. 

"Up stairs," Clint said, leading Phil toward the stairs, Marple sticking to his heals.

"Are we having dinner in bed?" Phil asked. 

Clint laughed and said, "No."

"Where are we going?" Phil asked. 

"You'll see," Clint said. 

That was vague, Phil thought, continuing to follow Clint and Marple up the stairs expecting to be lead into Clint's Master Suite. But, instead Clint handed him the tray as he opened a door that he'd always assumed was either a closet or the entrance to the attic. Neither of his assumptions had been correct. The door lead to the stairs that lead to the roof entrance. "I had no idea," Phil said.

"I hope you like it," Clint said. 

"It's beautiful up here," Phil said. 

Clint took the tray and sat it on the bistro table.

"I love the Chinese lanterns," Phil said. 

"I wanted candles for us to eat by, but I didn't want to burn down the house," Clint said. 

"Good choice," Phil said. "I was expecting music, though."

"Then you'd expect dancing," Clint said. 

"I know better than that," Phil said. "You hate to dance."

Clint took the mini-lasagnas and salads off the tray and put them by each of the place settings. Next, he opened the cooler, handed Phil an imported Italian beer as well as a bottle opener. Then he helped himself to a beer as well. 

Once both men were settled and Marple was curled up at Clint's feet, Clint waited impatiently as he watched Phil try the lasagna. 

'It's very good," Phil said. 

"I didn't screw it up?" Clint asked. 

"No, you did great," Phil said. 

Clint smiled and relaxed before starting his own meal. As he ate, he tried not to fidget. 

"Are you okay>" Phil asked. 

"I'm afraid you won't like it," Clint said. 

"What are you afraid I won't like?" Phil asked. 

"Your present," Clint said. 

"You got me a present?" Phil asked.

Clint nodded as he chewed on his bottom lip. 

"Can I see it?" Phil asked.

Clint reached into his pocket, took out a key chain and handed it to Phil.

"Are you asking me to move in?" Phil asked. 

"I l know how much you love Brooklyn," Clint said, "but I thought you might like to be here more or at least come and go as you please."

Phil got up and walked around the table. Putting the arrow key chain in his pocket, Phil took the ring box out and knelt on one knee at Clint's feet. 

"What are you doing?" Clint asked.

Phil flipped open the box and reached for Clint's hand. 

Clint allowed Phil to take his left hand and slide the white metal ring on his ring finger. 

Standing, Phil handed the other ring box to Clint. 

Clint climbed to his feet, careful not to step on Marple and opened the box. Finding an identical ring, Clint put it on Phil's finger and kissed the back of his hand.

"I know it''s not legal," Phil said, "but the minute it is, I'll take you to the court house and make an honest man out of you."


End file.
